Container for transporting fresh water by sea

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a container for transporting fresh water by sea. Said container comprises a flexible covering ( 3 ) for receiving fresh water and a pulling device joined to the covering ( 3 ) and made of a tubular support body ( 2 ) which is used for coupling bridle lines ( 6 ). The aim of the invention is to enable the container to be quickly filled and emptied whereby the tubular retaining body ( 2 ) is at least partially enclosed by the flexible covering ( 3 ) and filling and emptying openings ( 12 ) arranged in the tubular retaining body ( 2 ) open directly into the space enclosed by the flexible covering ( 3 ). The invention also relates to a method for filling or emptying said container.

[0001] The invention relates to a container for transporting fresh water by sea, comprising a flexible covering for receiving fresh water and a pulling device which is joined to the covering and is made of a tubular retaining body which is used for coupling bridle lines.

[0002] The economic transport of large quantities of fresh water by sea is gaining in importance in order to supply water-starved regions close to the coast with fresh water from regions close to the coast which have a surplus of water.

[0003] The sporadic supply of water to islands and zones close to the coast during dry periods by means of tank ships has been carried out for many years, although this manner of supply is expensive and is cumbersome in loading and unloading. For some time there have been efforts to reduce transport costs by using floating, flexible containers which are pulled by small tugboats. All containers known and used in practice have the shape of a torpedo or a boat and therefore have a quasi point-like fastening of the traction cable at the bow. This arrangement leads to stress peaks about said fastening point and thus often to the destruction of the flexible container, Up until now it was only possible to overcome these problems by limiting the maximum size of the flexible containers which in current practice are close to approx. 20,000 m³. A reduction in the transport costs can only be achieved by an increase in the size of the flexible containers by more than 10 times the current size. The loading and unloading occurred up until now through tubes and there are no special loading and unloading stations which have become known for handling such large quantities of water in an economical way.

[0004] A floating container is known from GB 933 889 A which comprises a flexible covering which is held at one end by a cylinder outside of the container. This may contribute to a certain extent to the distribution of mechanical forces. The filling and emptying of such a container is only possible via hoses or the like, as has been described above. A rapid transshipment of the content of the containers in the loading and unloading stations is not possible in this manner. It is the object of the present invention to provide a container with which a more economic transport of fresh water by sea is enabled. This is to be enabled on the one hand by an increase in the container volume in comparison with conventional containers and on the other hand by a more rapid transshipment of the content of the container in loading and unloading stations.

[0005] These goals are achieved in accordance with the invention in such a way that the tubular retaining body is at least partially enclosed by the flexible covering and that the filling and emptying openings arranged in the tubular retaining body open directly into the space enclosed by the flexible covering. The relevant aspect of the solution in accordance with the invention is that the tubular retaining body, which is also used to introduce the forces upon the flexible covering in such a way that a distribution over a large surface area is ensured, is also used for enabling an especially quick filling and emptying process. In this way it is not only possible to realize containers with a very large volume, it is also possible to ensure a rapid transshipment at the coast and thus a short dwell time at the end points of the transportation route,

[0006] A favorable distribution of forces within the flexible covering can be achieved in such a way that the flexible covering is substantially rectangular in its layout in the empty state and that the tubular retaining body extends over the entire width of the flexible covering.

[0007] An increase in the load carrying ability of the flexible covering can preferably be achieved in such a way that the flexible covering is arranged as a tube which is seamless in the longitudinal direction. Weak points in the region of the seams are thus substantially avoided.

[0008] It is provided for in a preferred embodiment of the invention that the tubular retaining body comprises fastening brackets which are arranged on the one hand for fastening the bridle lines and on the other hand for arresting in a loading pontoon or an unloading pontoon. In this way it is possible to achieve an easy transshipment of the container from the transport position to the loading or unloading position.

[0009] It is further preferable when a plurality of filling and emptying openings are arranged in a manner so as to be distributed over the length of the tubular retaining body and that a connecting branch each is provided at the lateral end regions, which branch opens outwardly. An especially high flow rate can thus be achieved during filling or emptying.

[0010] For a simple manipulation of the container in accordance with the invention it is advantageous when the retaining body assumes a predetermined height in the water. The height can preferably be set in such a way that a floating body is provided on the tubular retaining body.

[0011] The invention further relates to a method for filling or emptying a container of the kind described above. In accordance with the invention, this method is characterized in that the tubular retaining body is connected for filling with a loading pontoon having a collecting container for fresh water and that the collecting container is connected with the tubular retaining body for the transfer of fresh water. It is especially appropriate when the tubular retaining body is joined with the loading pontoon via swivelable loading lines in order to compensate the changing immersion depth of the retaining body.

[0012] A technically especially simple solution of the method in accordance with the invention is given when during the filling of the container the fresh water is supplied via a loading tower in the loading pontoon, with the fresh water preferably being transferred from the loading tower to the loading pontoon in free fall.

[0013] The loading can preferably be accelerated in such a way that the container is rolled up by a rollup catamaran for performing the unloading process.

[0014] In order to dissipate the forces by wind and the motion of the sea which act upon a large container, it is preferred when the tubular retaining body is fastened via the bridle lines to the unloading pontoon during the emptying of the container. It is especially appropriate in this connection when the unloading pontoon is held in a manner so as to be swivelable about a loading tower during the emptying of the container. The same applies in an analogous manner to the filling of the container.

[0015] The invention is now explained in closer detail by reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, wherein:

[0016]FIG. 1a shows a schematic representation in a side view of a container in accordance with the invention which is pulled by a tugboat;

[0017]FIG. 1b shows the container of FIG. 1a in a top view;

[0018]FIG. 2a shows an embodiment of the invention in a side view;

[0019]FIG. 2b shows the embodiment of FIG. 2a in a top view;

[0020]FIG. 3a shows a view of a detail of an apparatus in accordance with the invention in a top view;

[0021]FIG. 3b shows a sectional view along line IIIb-IIIb in FIG. 3a;

[0022]FIG. 4a shows a side view of a container in accordance with the invention in a filling station;

[0023]FIG. 4b shows a view according to FIG. 4a from above;

[0024]FIG. 5a shows a container in accordance with the invention in an emptying station in a side view, and

[0025]FIG. 5b shows a view according to FIG. 5a from above.

[0026]FIGS. 1a and 1 b show a container in accordance with the invention during the transport in the filled state. A tugboat 1 is connected with the container via a traction cable 7 and several bridle lines 6 which are fastened to brackets 5 of a retaining body 2 which is configured substantially in the shape of a tube. A sleeve-like flexible covering 3 is fastened to the retaining body 2 which in the top view is substantially rectangular and is filled with fresh water. At the end of the flexible covering 3 which is opposite of the retaining body 2, an end pipe 4 is provided which is also arranged in the shape of a cylinder and which closes off the flexible covering 3. A further container (not shown) can optionally be coupled via further lines 36.

[0027]FIGS. 2a and 2 b show the transport of a container in accordance with the invention in the emptied state. The flexible covering 3 is wound up on the end pipe 4 and the retaining body 2 is situated directly adjacent to said wound covering. In order to minimize traveling resistance, the container is pulled in the axial direction of the retaining body 2 or the end pipe 4.

[0028]FIGS. 3a and 3 b show the retaining body 2 in detail. In the region of the retaining body 2, which is oriented towards the interior of the flexible covering 3 (not shown here), a plurality of filling and emptying openings 12 are provided through which fresh water can flow from the inner space of the retaining body 2 to the interior space of the flexible covering 3. The supply of fresh water to the interior of the retaining body 2 occurs via covers 10 on the side or covers 11 at the front which can be removed for filling. The front covers 11 are arranged on necks 35.

[0029]FIGS. 4a and 4 b show the filling process of the container in accordance with the invention. The fresh water flows via a feed line 32 into a cylindrically configured loading tower 13 whose upper side comprises an outlet 20 from which the fresh water is allowed to flow out in free fall. A ring 14 is arranged in a height-adjustable fashion on the loading tower 13. A loading pontoon 8 is fastened to said ring by means of a fender 15. A collecting container 21 is arranged in the loading pontoon 21 in which the fresh water is collected which flows from the outlet 20. A venting container 18 is adjacent to the collecting container 21 which is used to remove the gases introduced into the fresh water.

[0030] Docking arms 16 are attached to the loading pontoon 8 onto which the retaining body 2 of the container can be docked. Swivelable loading lines 19 are provided together with the docking arms 16 through which the fresh water flows from the venting container 18 to the retaining body 2.

[0031] The entire arrangement consisting of the loading pontoon 8 and the container in accordance with the invention which is coupled to the same is swivelable about the axis of the loading tower 13 during the loading process and can be height-adjusted according to the sea level and the immersion depth. Securing lines 34 are additionally provided for fixing and can be loosened in the case of storms in order to avoid any damage to the loading tower 13. As a result of the flexibility it is reliably prevented that even in the case of heavy sea or storms inadmissibly large forces will be exerted on the loading tower 13 or the loading pontoon 8 which could lead to damage.

[0032]FIGS. 5a and 5 b show the unloading process of the container in accordance with the invention. A roll-up catamaran 33 is provided for rolling up the flexible covering 3 of the container on the end pipe 4. The rolling-up process is secured by end disks 39 which are attached to the side of the end pipe 4. During the unloading, the retaining body 2 is fastened to the docking arms 25 and is emptied via unloading lines 28. The docking arms 25 and the loading lines 28 are swivelably fastened to an unloading pontoon 9 which contains a collecting container 27. A plurality of submerged pumps 29 are arranged in the collecting container 27 which pump the fresh water through pipelines 30 which are fastened to a supporting frame 31. The fresh water flows from the pipeline 30 in free fall into an unloading tower 22 and is removed by means of pipelines 37.

[0033] In analogy to the loading pontoon 8, the unloading pontoon 9 is fastened to a ring 23 via a fender 24, which ring slides rotatably and height-adjustably on the unloading tower 22. Securing cables 38 are used to keep the unloading pontoon 9 at a predetermined distance from the unloading tower 22.

[0034]FIGS. 4a and 5 a show with broken lines a position of the docking arms 16 and 25 plus attached retaining body 2 before the loading process has started and after the unloading process has finished. For distinction purposes the retaining body 2 is designated here with 2*. This representation shows the swivelability of the docking arms 16 about the axis 17 and the swivelability of the docking arms 25 about the axis 26.

[0035] The unloading pontoon 9 is provided with a sufficiently strong power supply for the operation of its pumps and winches in order to guarantee a rapid emptying. This rapid emptying is achieved in particular in such a way that the water from the interior of the flexible covering 3 can flow into the retaining body 2 via the numerous filling and emptying openings 12 or, vice-versa, from the retaining body 2 via the numerous filling and emptying openings 12 to the filling and emptying openings 12 into the flexible covering 3.

[0036] The use of the roll-up catamaran 33 allows the water to flow from the flexible covering 3 into the collecting container 27 without using any pumps. The flow rate can be regulated in a simple manner by the height by which the end pipe 4 is lifted by the roll-up catamaran 33. 

1. A container for transporting fresh water by sea, comprising a flexible covering (3) for receiving fresh water and a pulling device which is joined to the covering (3) and is made of a tubular retaining body which is used for coupling bridle lines (6), characterized in that the tubular retaining body (2) is enclosed at least partly by the flexible covering (3) and that filling and emptying openings (12) in the tubular retaining body (2) open directly into the space enclosed by the flexible covering (3).
 2. A container as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the flexible covering (3) is substantially rectangular in its layout in the empty state and that the tubular retaining body (2) extends over the entire width of the flexible covering (3).
 3. A container as claimed in one of the claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the flexible covering (3) is configured as a tube which is seamless in the longitudinal direction.
 4. A container as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at the end of the flexible covering (3) which is averted from the tubular retaining body (2) an end pipe (4) is provided which comprises end disks.
 5. A container as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the tubular retaining body (2) comprises fastening brackets (5) which are configured on the one hand for fastening the bridle lines (6) and on the other hand for arresting in a loading pontoon (8) or an unloading pontoon (9).
 6. A container as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a plurality of filling and emptying openings are arranged in a manner so as to be distributed over the length of the tubular retaining body (2) and that a connecting branch each is provided at the lateral end regions, which branch opens to the outside.
 7. A container as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a floating body is provided on the tubular retaining body (2).
 8. A method for filling or emptying a container as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the tubular retaining body (2) is joined for filling with a loading pontoon (8) having a collecting container (21) for fresh water and that the collecting container (21) is connected with the tubular retaining body (2) for transferring fresh water.
 9. A method as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the tubular retaining body (2) is connected via swivelable loading lines (19) with the loading pontoon (8) in order to compensate the fluctuating immersion depth of the retaining body (2).
 10. A method as claimed in one of the claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the tubular retaining body (2) is fastened via the bridle lines (6) to the loading pontoon (8) during the filling of the container.
 11. A method as claimed in one of the claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the loading pontoon (8) is held swivelably about a loading tower (13) during the loading of the container.
 12. A method as claimed in one of the claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the loading pontoon (9) is held remote from a loading tower (13) by a fender (15) during the filling of the container.
 13. A method as claimed in one of the claims 8 to 12, characterized in that during the filling of the container the fresh water is supplied via a loading tower (13) to the loading pontoon (8), with the fresh water preferably being transferred in free fall from the loading tower (13) to the loading pontoon (8).
 14. A method as claimed in one of the claims 8 to 12, characterized in that the tubular retaining body (2) is joined with an unloading pontoon (9) for emptying the container, which pontoon comprises a collecting container (27) for fresh water, and that the collecting container (27) is connected with the tubular retaining body (2) for the transfer of fresh water.
 15. A method as claimed in one of the claims 8 to 14, characterized in that the container is rolled up by a roll-up catamaran (33) in order to perform the unloading process.
 16. A method as claimed in one of the claims 8 to 15, characterized in that the tubular retaining body (2) is connected via swivelable unloading lines (28) with the unloading pontoon (9) in order to compensate the fluctuating immersion depth of the retaining body (2).
 17. A method as claimed in one of the claims 8 or 16, characterized in that the tubular retaining body (2) is fastened to the unloading pontoon (9) via the bridle lines (6) during the unloading of the container.
 18. A method as claimed in one of the claims 8 to 17, characterized in that the loading pontoon (8) is held swivelably about an unloading tower (22) during the emptying of the container.
 19. A method as claimed in one of the claims 8 to 18, characterized in that the unloading pontoon (9) is held remote from the unloading tower (22) by means of a fender (24) during the unloading of the container.
 20. A method as claimed in one of the claims 8 to 19, characterized in that during the unloading of the container the fresh water is supplied from an unloading pontoon (9) to an unloading tower (22), with the fresh water preferably being transferred in free fall from the unloading pontoon (9) to the unloading tower (22). 